Bed-bottom attachment for invalids



(No Model.) Y y J. H. DAVIS 8u H. M. KEITH.

BBD BOTToM ATTACHMENT PoR lUWALIDS.

` No. 540,016. Patented May 28, 1895.

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Y UNITED STATES JOHN H. DAvIs, on MILroRD, AND HORACE M. KEITH, on 1MICHIGAN.

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COMMERCE,

BHD-BoTToM'AT'T-'ACHM'EfNr FOR yINVALIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,016, dated May es,1895.

` Application tiled September 27, 1394. vSerial No. 524,224l (N omodel.)

To aIZZ whom it nca/y concern,.-

Beit known that we, JOHN H. DAVIS, resid- Y ing at Milford, and HORACEM. KEITH, residing at Commerce, in the county of Oakland and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBed-BottomAttachments for Invalids, of'which the following is a specification.

Our improvement is an improved attach'- IO ment for a bedstead forsupporting the head portion of the bed in a raised position for thecomfort of the invalid; and the object of our improvement is to providesuch a supporting bed-section complete for, attachment to the r 5 undersides of the rails of the bedstead, without requiring any change inthebedstead or in the bottom upon which the bed rests g' and to providesuch bed supporting part with hangers whereon a shelf is mounted andadapted for adjustment in the arc of a circle to incline it to suit theoccupant ot' the bed. This attachment is shown in the accompanyingdrawings as applied to a bedstead and the improvements will be pointedout in the claims in connection with these drawings, in

whichi Figure 1 shows, in perspective, the device complete as anattachment for bedsteads, which may be of different widths. Fig'. 2

3C shows the device in vertical section as applied- 3 5 The frame whichforms the head-section device, is of strap-metal consisting of two sideVpieces l, 1, connected by a lapping extensible plate 2, so that the sidepieces can be set nearer together or farther apart. The other 4o ends ofthese side pieces are L shaped Vand serve as the pivot connecting partsof the strap-frame. Links 3, 3 are pivoted to these L shaped ends andare jointed to the crankarms'4, 4 of a horizontal rock-rod which I makeof two lapping parts 5, 5, connected by a screw 6, passing through aslot 7, in one of the parts, whereby the rod can be made longer orshorter to correspond with the width of the strap-frame.

The head-section can be made of greater or less width by connecting theextensible plate by slots 8, 8 and screws 9, 9 and this construction, inconnection with that of the divided l `2 with the right angled endsofthe side frames steads of different widthsv as I shall presently state.

The side straps 1, 1, are connected by Wires 10, preferably coiledtlatwise to form a bottom to the head-section to support the bed whenthe section is raised and these wires coiled as stated, permit ofincreasing or diminishing the width of the head-section.

The sideplates are connected at their L shaped ends to brackets 11, bypivots 12, While the divided armed rock-rod is mounted in brackets 13,and these brackets 11, and 13 are adapted for attachment to the undersides of the side rails of the bed-stead, so that the side `straps ofthe head-section will stand close to the inner sides of the bedsteadrails and when ldepressed will lie upon the bed bottom 14.

stead, or in the bed-bottom.

p By rocking the armed rock-rod the headsection can be raised andlowered to the position desired by the invalid because the rodarms 4, 4serve as cranks which act upon the L shaped ends of the head-sectionstraps,

through the links 3, 3, which stand horizontal and serve as abutments tosustain the headsection when raised. For securing the headsection whenraised I utilize one of the links 3 as a ratchet-bar into the teeth ofwhich engages a dog 15, which is hung to the bracket 13, so as to act ina horizontal position and this dog is formed with a handle-16, at theside of Vthe bedstead which handle serves to Weight the dog to maintainits engagement with the ratchet teeth of the link. The armed rock-rodprojects at the side of the bedstead to receive a crank-handle 17 bywhich to operate the said rod when it is desired to raise or to lowerthe head-section and this can be done by the invalid as b oth thecrank-handle and the dog are within reach. To raise the head-section thecrank-handle is movedtoward the foot and to lower the head-section IOOthe dog is lifted to release its engagement with the ratchet-link. n

As a supportfor medicine, food, drink, and books for the invalid, ashelf 18 is hung upon and movable with the frame of the head-section bymeans of hangers 19 19, fastened in eyes or loops 20, 20 at the cornersconnecting the frame-straps, clam p-screws 21 holding the hangers secureand allowing their removal when the shelf is not needed. In raising thehead section the dog slides over the ratchetteeth and locks the rockrodwhen the desired position of the invalid is obtained.. When the dog islifted the head-section falls to place the invalid in arecumbentposition and even in this position the shelf may be used as abook-support. The hangers for supporting the shelf are made of twolapping parts each provided with holes and screws so that they can bemade longer or shorter to set the shelf higher or lower as may bedesired, while the shelf itself can be set at any desired angle byconnecting lugs 22 at each end of the shelf with lugs 23 on the hangers,by pivot screws 24 with nuts so as to clamp the lugs together and holdthe shelf When set. By this arrangement of the hangers the shelf isfirmly supported across the bed in front of the invalid, who, ifdesired, can rest the head or the arms upon the shelf vor use the shelffor writing. For this purpose the shelf can be turned on its pivot toset it at the desired angle for the convenience of the occupant. Theupper ends of the hangers are curved and this construction serves to setthe .shelf more or less away from the occupant by moving the hangers intheir loops more or less. It is important to notice that the provisionfor making the frame parts and the rod adjustable is to allow thebearing brackets of the rod to be secured to the rails of bedsteads ofdifferent widths and to bring the frame parts close to the inner sidesof the rails so as not to interfere with the bed which lies between theframe parts.

We claim as our improvement- 1. In an invalid bed the bed-bottom, consisting of the L parts, the rod 5, having the arms 4t, 4, the links 3,3, one of which has ratchet teeth, the bearing brackets l1, 11, to whichthe L parts are pivoted, the bearing brackets 13, 13, for the rod andthe weighteddog 15, pivoted to one of said brackets 13, and engaging theratchet-link, the said brackets being secured to the under sides of thebedstead-rails to fix the bed-bottom section as an attachment.

2. In an invalid bed, the bed-bottom-section, consisting of the L partshaving a bottom of wires 10 coiled flatwise for expansion, and a plate2, connecting and longitudinally adjustable upon the upper ends of the Lparts, the rod of coupled lapping parts 5, 5, longitudinally adjustableupon each other, each coupled part having an arm 4, the links 3, 3, oneof which has ratchet-teeth, bracketbear -ings for the L parts and forthe rod, and the bracket-bearings to the under sides of thebedstead-rails.

3. In an invalid bed, the bed-bottom se'ction, consisting of the L partsconnected at4 their upper ends, having loops or eyes 20, 2O in the topconnecting part, a bed supporting bottom 10, and forming an adjustableframe pivoted to the bedstead-rails, in combination with the hangingbrackets 19, 19, having curved ends passing through said loops, and ashelf pivotally secured to the lower ends of said hanging brackets,whereby the adjustment of the curved ends of the brackets in the loopswill set the shelf to the proper proximity to the occupant, and theadjustment of the shelf upon its pivots will set it at the desired angleupon the brackets.

JOI-IN H. DAVIS. HORACE M. KEITH. In presence of- DAVID S. HOWARD', lG.L. SEAGRAVE.

